#30 🧭💡 Working with a Strategic Sparring Partner
Getting to clarity and commitment for progressing in a certain direction, personally and professionally, can be difficult to do on your own.
That’s why you might want to explore working with a strategic sparring partner (either formally or informally).
I’ve written a bit about this kind of sparring back in March 2021:
From practice: Sparring - Another way to help someone create their personal strategy
Following the principle of ”the wisdom is in the conversations”, I want to share with you a new approach to creating a personal strategy that’s conversational in nature.
(…) your positioning when helping someone create their personal strategy switches from coaching to sparring and challenging their strategic thinking.
Today I want to share with you a few more thoughts on the topic, given that I’ve recently started to offer this kind of help formally. These ideas might inspire you to find strategic sparring partners around you or to become one for others:
What is a Strategic Sparring Partner?
A trustworthy professional - credible, reliable, no conflicts of interest
With first hand business experience in areas that are relevant for you
Who understands the strategic context of your organization, team and role
And is fluent in multiple modalities of helping, like coaching, mentoring, advising, consulting, facilitating or teaching
What does a Strategic Sparring Partner do?
Helps you reflect and get clarity on challenges
Challenges your thinking, asks some tough questions when needed
Helps you get to the core of the issues
Helps you bounce off ideas and strategies to overcome them
Provides you with expert advice, fresh ideas, a variety of perspectives, curated resources or useful connections for the challenges at hand
Holds you accountable for doing what you say you'll do next
Why work with a Strategic Sparring Partner?
If it's hard to discuss confidential or difficult challenges with colleagues
If you need an impartial sounding board for brainstorming various options and strategies
If you need external perspectives and fresh insights on current challenges
If you have limited time for doing extensive research related to a challenge
If you want to decrease (or at least become better aware of) the risk associated to making some important moves in your work and projects
If you need to speed up decision making on important business or professional matters
If you need access to high-end expertise and experience that might be scarce internally
Enjoy sparring,
Bülent
Bülent Duagi is a Sr. Strategic adviser for Tech companies and lifelong learner. He works at the intersection of Strategy, Foresight, Leadership, Org Design, Product and Capability Development. Learn more by exploring his professional one pager.